18.96.030 Design standards.
A. Building Orientation and Entrances.
1. Building Orientation. Multiple-family residential buildings located within 40 feet of a front lot line shall have their primary orientation toward the street.
2. Building Entrances. The main entrance(s) of any residential building located within 40 feet of a street must face the front lot line. Main entrances may provide access to individual units, clusters of units, courtyard dwellings, or common lobbies. The following exceptions shall apply:
a. On corner lots the main building entrance(s) may face either of the streets or be oriented to the corner.
b. For buildings that have more than one entrance serving multiple units, only one entrance must meet this requirement.
B. Building Mass and Facade.
1. Maximum Building Dimension. The maximum length of any building shall not exceed 150 feet.
2. Windows. Street facades shall contain windows covering a minimum of 15 percent of the facade on each story.
C. Building Design.
1. Building Materials. Permitted building materials shall include:
a. Painted or stained wood siding or shingles, fiber cement or composite siding or shingles, or aluminum or vinyl siding that is textured to simulate wood.
b. Brick or stone, not including plain concrete or concrete block.
c. Stucco.
2. Design Features. The primary facade shall incorporate at least three different architectural features from the following options:
a. Window trim: minimum four-inch width.
b. Eaves: overhang of not less than 12 inches.
c. Decorative top: e.g., cornice or pediment with flat roof or brackets with pitched roof.
d. Bay window: minimum 12-inch projection from front elevation.
e. Dormer.
f. Balcony.
g. Other: feature not listed but providing visual relief or contextually appropriate design similar to options in subsections (B)(2)(a) through (f) of this section, as approved by the planning director through a Type II procedure.
3. Entrances. The main building entrance(s) shall incorporate a minimum of one of the following options:
a. A covered front porch not less than six feet deep and not less than 30 percent of the width of the building.
b. A recessed entrance not less than three feet deep.
c. An awning, canopy or portico not less than six feet deep.
D. Building Articulation. To preclude large expanses of uninterrupted wall surfaces, exterior elevations of buildings shall incorporate design features such as offsets, projections, balconies, bays, windows, entries, porches, porticos, or similar elements. These features shall vary from the other wall surfaces by a minimum of two feet, and shall have a minimum width of six feet.
1. Horizontal surface: At least two of the design features outlined above shall be incorporated along the horizontal face (side to side) of the structure, to be repeated at intervals of no more than 30 feet.
2. Vertical surface: At least two of the design features outlined above shall be incorporated along the vertical face (top to bottom) of the structure, to be repeated at intervals of no more than 15 feet.
E. Roofline Modulation. To increase visual interest and break up large expansive roof lines, flat roofs, and the roof ridges of sloping roofs, shall not exceed a horizontal length of 75 feet without providing differences in elevation of at least four feet in height. Alternatively, the building may be designed with a cross gable or dormer at least four feet wide or a cornice that is a minimum of eight inches tall and a minimum of three inches beyond the face of the facade.
Figure 18.96.030-1. Roofline Modulation Options
F. Common Open Space. Common open space shall be provided in all newly constructed multiple-family developments as follows:
1. A minimum of 20 percent of the gross site area shall be provided in designated and permanently reserved open space. The following may count towards the required open space:
a. Indoor or covered recreation space.
b. Private Open Space. Private open spaces not more than five feet above finished grade shall measure a minimum of 96 square feet with a minimum horizontal dimension for all sides of six feet. Private open spaces five feet or more above finished grade shall measure a minimum of 48 square feet with a minimum horizontal dimension for all sides of six feet.
c. Natural areas, floodplains, steep slopes greater than 25 percent, may be included; provided, that such areas do not exceed 25 percent of the required common open space.
d. Required setback and buffer areas.
2. At least one common open space area shall be provided within developments of 12 units or more that has a minimum area size of 750 square feet plus an additional 250 square feet for every 12 units, or portion thereof, over 12 units. The minimum dimension for all sides of the required common open space is 25 feet.
3. The total amount of open space may be reduced by up to 25 percent if the development provides improved open space. Improved open space shall meet the minimum size requirements of subsection (F)(2) of this section and incorporate one or more of the following types of features:
a. Covered pavilion.
b. Picnic areas with tables and/or benches, including the tables and clear ground space immediately surrounding each table.
c. Ornamental or food gardens.
d. Developed and equipped children’s play areas, with a minimum 30-inch-tall fence to separate children’s play areas from any parking lot, drive aisle, or street.
e. Sports courts (tennis, handball, volleyball, etc.).
f. Swimming pools, spas and adjacent patios and decks.
G. Off-Street Parking Areas.
1. Parking and vehicle use areas shall be located behind or beside buildings and structures, such that no more than 50 percent of the site’s buildable width shall be occupied by parking or vehicle use areas at the setback line. Parking areas shall not be located between buildings and the street.
2. Parking areas shall comply with the standards of Chapter 18.110 TMC.
H. Pedestrian circulation shall comply with the standards of TMC 18.115.030.
I. Screening. Mechanical and communication equipment and outdoor garbage and recycling areas shall be screened so they are not visible from streets and other ground-level private open space and common open spaces.
1. Appropriate screening for rooftop equipment includes parapet walls or architecturally compatible fabricated enclosures such as panels and walls.
2. Utilities such as transformers, heating and cooling, electric meters, and other utility equipment shall be not be located within five feet of a front entrance and shall be screened with sight-obscuring materials. [Ord. 966 § 3 (Exh. C), 2021.]